Promotion of physical and psychological health: interventions with disabled people

Abstract

The physical disability contributes to the increase of sedentary lifestyle, leading to obesity and other chronic diseases. It can also impact on people’s self-perception and social interactions, and may result in depression cases and low self-esteem. The present experience report describes the performance of physical activities and group interventions with 17 (seventeen) disabled people for 18 (eighteen) months, during an extension project iinterfacing with the research. Aiming to promote the physical and psychological health of the target group, it used Enrique Pichon-Rivière technique on operative groups, and the resources presented by Maria Lúcia Afonso about group dynamics workshops, besides structured physical activities. The result shows a qualitative analysis with the method of Content Analysis of the participants’ speech. We will also present a quantitative analysis using the Perceived Change Scale to evaluate the effects produced. The quantitative results, as well as those reported by the participants, indicate improvements in physical, psychological and social aspects, which theycredit to the interventions developed. This study intends to reach undergraduate students, and professionals of similar areas who work directly or indirectly with disabled people, to be a reference for other groups with similar objectives. This way, it is expected that, in addition to disseminating the benefits obtained by this public, it expands the studies, researches and works in this area, in order to enrich the literature on this subject, and to support researchers and future professionals.